Abstract
BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extremely dense stroma, which has a fundamental role in tumor progression. Fibronectin (FN1) is the main constituent of the tumor stroma in pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to explore the association between FN1 and clinicopathological characteristics and disease survival.MethodsFormalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 138 patients with PDAC were constructed into a tissue microarray, followed by immunohistochemical analysis with a recombinant monoclonal FN1 antibody. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used for comparison of FN1 expression and relevant clinicopathological parameters. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the association between FN1 and survival.ResultsFN1 was detected in the stromal compartment in most cases (117/138, 84.8%). Compared to the low FN1 expression group, the high FN1 expression group had significantly larger tumor size (P = 0.002), more advanced T stage (P = 0.039) and N stage (P = 0.009), and also worse AJCC stage (P = 0.003). However, stromal FN1 expression was not associated with disease-free survival or overall survival.ConclusionsThis study suggests that high stromal FN1 expression is associated with aggressive tumor characteristics in patients with resected PDAC. However, no association between FN1 expression and survival was found.
Highlights
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extremely dense stroma, which has a fundamental role in tumor progression
In a previous proteomic study, we reported that FN1 is an upregulated biomarker in PDAC patients with poor outcome [19]
Patients and samples Patients from this study were all diagnosed with PDAC and underwent pancreatectomy at the Department of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Lund and Malmö, Sweden
Summary
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extremely dense stroma, which has a fundamental role in tumor progression. Fibronectin (FN1) is the main constituent of the tumor stroma in pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer death, characterized by frequent metastases and profound chemoresistance [1]. The median survival for all stages of pancreatic cancer combined is 6 months, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 7% [2]. The TME in PDAC accounts for more than half of the tumor mass and has a complex role in tumor growth and the therapeutic response [5]. Some constituents of tumor stroma act to suppress tumor growth by
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